Tears and Memories
by starry night blue
Summary: [ONE SHOT] Ash is dead, and Misty feels as if she'll never recover, until she receives a box from a mysterious sender...


**D/C: I don't own Pokemon…not even Pikachu!**

**Well, this is the first Pokemon fic I've ever published. I know Ash is dead in the story, but Misty is still starring. Anyway, read on and see if you'll like it.**

**Enjoy.**

**TEARS AND MEMORIES  
**  
The wind blew her golden-red hair across her face, as her greenish-blue eyes gazed far at the sinking sun. A slight shiver ran up her spine, and she wrapped her arms around her body. Pearly tears rolled down her pink-from-cold cheeks as she recalled the person who used to stand with her, as they watched the sunset together.

Ash.

But Ash would never stand with her again. He was gone. He was dead.

If he had only listened to her, if he hadn't been so stubborn so as to drive out on such a snowy, stormy night…then his car wouldn't have skidded on the icy roads, and he wouldn't have plunged to his death. A snowflake dropped on her nose, but she didn't bother to brush it off.

Suddenly, some one gripped her shoulders. She turned her head a little and saw Rudy. 'Hey' he said softly.

Rudy had been ever so nice to her ever since the painful incident; he always stayed by her side, and only left her when he felt that she needed to be alone. He never forced her to do anything, and didn't act as somebody who had gained victory over his rival; he even cried at Ash's funeral. And to top it all, he had taken her and her sisters to stay at his huge lodge in the mountains so that she could release her grief and worry.

'Where were you?' she asked.

'I had some business elsewhere,' he answered. 'Let's go inside, it's starting to snow, you'll catch a cold.'

Misty shook her head. 'Ash caught fire, why can't I catch a cold?' she said, stubbornly.

'Don't say that. Ash wouldn't want you to get hurt,' he coaxed her. 'C'mon, let's go inside.'

Finally, Misty allowed him to stir her back towards the lodge.

**Later…**

Misty opened her eyes and looked around. She found herself curled up on a couch in the lodge's living room, covered with a soft woolen blanket. She pushed it away and sat up. She blinked in the morning sun, which was pouring in from the wall-length window.

'Good morning, sleepyhead.'

Misty looked around and saw Lily walking into the room. 'How long have I slept?' she murmured.

'Let's see, you slept at ten, and it's twelve now, so…' Lily's voice trailed off, and she grinned.

'Where's Rudy?' Misty asked.

'Dunno. He left an hour ago,' Lily answered. 'Hey, by the way, you've received a box by mail today.'

'Who is it from?' she asked.

'It didn't say,' Lily said. 'I'll go get it, shall I?'

Lily left, and returned a few moments later carrying a rather big box. She handed it to Misty, who stared wide-eyed at it.Then she turned and went to her room. She closed the door, and sat on her bed. She pulled the tape off, and opened the box.

She gasped. Inside laid a hundred pictures or so, notes, letters-all photocopied-and a few objects. All belonging to Ash.

Her hands trembling, her eyes not believing what she was seeing, she picked a photo which showed Ash lying on his stomach on a grass plane. She bit her lip, and choked back bitter tears. Slowly, she pulled out photos, weeping at some and uttering painful laughter at others. There were all sorts of pictures; baby pictures of Ash, funny pictures, serious pictures and so on.

She particularly liked one which showed Ash holding her while she was crying. She clearly remembered the time when they took it. She had been crying when Ash decided to take a flight away for a month; Tracy had sneaked up behind them and snapped the photo.

Her hands found a closed envelop addressed to her. Her heart beating furiously, she unsealed it, and pulled out several sheets of paper. They weren't photocopied, it was Ash's handwriting, and that's all what mattered.

"Dear Misty,

I have written this ever since I met you, and I've told mom to give it to you when I die. I want to tell you that I've loved you ever since I've met you, I knew you were special, I knew you were different, but I, I'm ashamed to say, never had the courage to tell you that, let alone admit it to myself, I've been so foolish, so arrogant, so blind. I refused to see the truth when it was right in front of me.

You were the truth, Misty, and you will always be. You are everything to me. It's such a shame that I never told you this before when I was still alive and well. I've loved you with all my heart and soul; you were what made my life a bearable place to live in. Maybe we had our differences; maybe we had our fights and mishaps. But believe me, every time I yelled at you was like a dagger piercing my heart. Please forgive me if I've hurt you in anyway during our acquaintance. I've always wondered what you saw in me; you deserve a much better guy. But still, I'm not objecting, I'm really happy you picked me over everybody else; it was the best thing which could have ever happened to me.  
You're prettier than a rose, you're sweeter than honey, and you're more graceful that a swan, you're gentler than a butterfly; you're simply everything good in life.

Please remember me, remember there used to be a guy who loved you deeply, remember Ash.

Yours Lovingly,

Ash."

Misty sat frozen with the letter in her hands, and then she dropped it onto her lap, and buried her face in her pillow, crying her heart out. She didn't know how much she sat there crying, but she could figure out she had stayed long.

She folded the letter and put it back in its envelop, then she reached out for a small folder, which contained small remarks or notes written by Ash. She laughed rather painfully as she read the first note:

"Brock, if you don't wash your feet I'm not living with you again!!"

**Later…**

'Hello, stranger, where have you been?'

Misty looked up and saw Daisy sitting beside her. Misty had abandoned her room, and had sat on the wooden bench on the lodge's front porch, where she could watch the snow falling. 'Daisy, what would you do if you've lost a beloved person of yours?' she asked, quietly.

'I would feel extremely sad, of course,' Daisy replied.

'And what if you discovered that that person shared the same feelings with you, but you did that after you had lost him?' Misty asked.

'I would be extremely shocked, and I don't think I would've recovered,' Daisy answered. Misty nodded, and said nothing more. Daisy put an arm around her sister. 'Misty, what do you think of Rudy?'

'He's a really nice guy and the best friend I could ever have,' Misty replied.

'That's all?' she questioned her.

Misty looked at her, puzzled. 'What do you mean?' she demanded.

Daisy stood up. 'I'm not going to tell you if you don't know,' she told her. 'But, a piece of advice from me, you ought to reconsider your feelings.'

'Huh?' Misty said, confused. But Daisy walked away, leaving Misty alone with her thoughts. 'Rudy?'

**Later…**

Misty sat in front of the fireplace, scanning some of Ash's photos. She was really happy with the stuff, but she wanted to know who sent them to her.

'Oh, you've seen the box, then,' Violet sat down beside her, and held her hands in front of the fire.

'What do you know about it?' Misty demanded.

'Well, I know it has all these stuff belonging to Ash.' Violet said slowly.

'And? Do you know who sent them?' Misty said urgently.

Violet smiled. 'I do, but you'll have to find out yourself,' she replied.

'I'm sick of these guessing games! So tell me already!' Misty fumed.

Violet shook her head. 'You should know it yourself,' she teased her.

'But I don't know! That's what I've been telling you, people!!' she said angrily. But Violet just shook her head. 'Fine!! I'll go find some one who can at least give me some useful hints!' Misty got up and went to find Lily, her closest sister. She found her in the kitchen, making herself a mug of cocoa.

'Want some?' she asked.

Misty shook her head. 'Lily, there's something I want to ask you about,' she said.

Lily sat down at the wooden table. 'Shoot,' she said, and took a sip out of her mug.

'Well, the box you gave me this morning, do you know who sent it?' she asked.

Lily's eyes widened in disbelief. 'You mean you don't know yet?' she cried. 'Boy! You should've known right away it was from…'

'Lily!' Daisy said sharply, stepping into the kitchen. 'We promised, remember?'

'Right,' Lily mumbled.

Daisy looked at Misty. 'Listen, Misty. I really think you should find out yourself. after all, we did promise not to tell,' she said softly. 'Understand?'

Misty nodded slowly. 'Yeah,' she said, glumly.

She turned on her heels and walked away.

**Later…**

Misty sat on a couch in the living room, gazing at a photo of Ash and his mom. Then a thought struck her mind; if anyone knew who got those stuff, it was Ash's mother. She jumped to her feet and hurried to the phone. She dialed the number. It rang for a few moments then some one answered it.

'Hello?' came Mrs. Ketchum's voice.

'Hello, Mrs. Ketchum. It's Misty,' she said.

'Oh, Misty! Hi! How are you doing?' she asked.

Misty bit her lip. 'I'm managing,' she murmured.

Mrs. Ketchum sniffed. 'I know what you mean,' she said. 'I'm having a hard time adjusting to my different life too.'

'Mrs. Ketchum, did some one arrive at your house to photocopy some of Ash's belongings?' she asked quickly.

'Why, yes,' she said.

'Can you tell me who it was?' Misty asked, hopefully.

Mrs. Ketchum hesitated. 'Oh, I'm sorry, Misty! But I did promise not to tell you,' she said sadly.

'That's okay,' Misty sighed. 'I just can't think of anyone nice enough to do that, unless…'

The doorbell rang, and Misty froze. She heard the keys opening the lock. 'Rudy,' she whispered.

'Huh? Misty? Are you still there?' came Mrs. Ketchum's voice on the phone.

Misty dropped the phone, and hurried to the door. She flung her arms around Rudy's neck just as he stepped into the main hall. Rudy was stunned, then comprehension dawned on his face and he put his arms around her.

Misty wanted to apologize over and over again for being ignorant and for being blinded by grief and sorrow, and that she hadn't noticed him when he was right in front of her, but she just held on to him, tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked up at him and opened her mouth, but he held a finger to her lips and gave her a warm smile.

Then he gently wiped away the tears from her face. She smiled back at him. She knew, now, that she was okay; Rudy will always be there or her, and she knew, now, how much she cared for him. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

The cold wind blew against them through the open door, but the heat of their love kept her warm, warm as she'll ever be.

**-**

**A/N: So, what did you think? Is it nice? Did u like it? Then, please review if you did!**

_- S. N. B. _


End file.
